Once Upon A Time: ‘How does it feel to finally be home?’

How Prince Eric has fallen. His Storybrooke alter ego is on the docks cutting fish when he reunites with Ariel. Like a fairy tale: no questions, just kissing. Until it is interrupted by the Jolly Roger dropping out of the sky. Oh, and that’s it for them this episode. We don’t see them again.

You can tell Ginnifer Goodwin is pregnant. She is starting to get full in the face. Just sayin’. Let me guess, this is how they are going to write Ginnifer Goodwin’s pregnancy into the show: Snow in flashback will be pregnant with Emma, and Snow in Storybrooke will be pregnant with the child she talked about wanting in Neverland.

Everyone reunites with their loved ones except Regina — who doesn’t have any. Even the Darling brothers are waiting for their dear Wendy, and they get to see their old friend Baelfire too. The Lost Boys just look sullen. I’m assuming they were kidnapped from normal homes like Wendy, and will then go back there. But will their return be like that French zombie show on Sundance where people return several years after their presumed deaths and finds that everyone has aged but them?

Snow’s wedding dress is hideous. She looks like she’s being eaten by a big white bird that’s only gotten as far as her waist. And that Bride of Frankenstein meets Marge Simpson beehive does her no justice either.

Interchanges between Hook and Neal are always loaded with open disdain. I liked this one at Granny’s [thank you, Closed Captioning!]:
Neal:” I don’t think they serve rum at Granny’s.”
Hook: “Don’t worry. I’m not here to persue the Lady Swan.”
Neal: “Yeah, you’re just here to throw back a few with the dwarves.”
Hook: “I made a decision when it comes to Emma. I’m gonna back off.”
Neal: “Back off?”
Hook: “For the sake of the boy. Let his parents have a fair shot without a devilishly handsome pirate standing in the way.”
Neal: “You serious?”
Hook: “Yes. I am devilishly handsome.” [and waiting for Neal to screw it up again.]

Medusa? Seriously? Aren’t we mixing our mythologies? But Charming sure knows Snow: “I fell in love with you on a troll bridge, after you robbed me and hit me over the head with a rock. I knew what I was getting myself into.” She’s high maintenance in her own unique way, and she owes him big time for getting him turned into stone. That shield must have excellent reception to pick up Regina taunting Snow in the middle of Medusa’s lair.

Shouldn’t they have locked up Pan’s Shadow after they arrived safely? Why did they just leave him there? Right, Regina’s magic didn’t hold him there like they thought it would.

I really like the Charming-Emma father-daughter scenes. The Snow-Emma scenes usually get saccharine, especially on Snow’s part. I expect birds to start singing and the woodland friends to gather round. Charming, on the hand, is supportive and gives advice but not with a firm hand. Sometimes he leans too hard on the clichés, but dads can get corny.

We know Tink and Hook have history, and she so has his number. It’s always amusing when people call Hook out, especially when he’s being a dog. She knows he’s after her for one thing only, and it ain’t pixie dust. Of course he lets Emma think he was successful — to test her reaction — and Tink is all too happy to burst that bubble.

After her tough life, Emma has a finely-honed spidey sense. She knew Henry isn’t right. He didn’t recognize his handy book of fairy tales and he wants to stay with Regina — twice. Also, she recognized that Henry truly is stuck inside Pan. Nevertheless, it is totally weird to have Pan acting Henry-like, being hugged by his mom and grandparents (and then goes and on in other scenes hugging other people — I don’t remember Henry as Henry hugging people that much). Meanwhile, Pan as Henry would be Regina’s rightful heir in evilness.

Why did Pan’s shadow kill the Blue Fairy? So that Pan as Henry can act scared and get Regina to take him to a safe place: the mausoleum, where she keeps her magic, which he needs for his dastardly plan. He’s going to recast Regina’s curse, sticking everyone in Storybrooke without their memories, while he’s in charge, turning it into “New Neverland.” But why did she hold on to her copy? For her magic scrapbook?